Multiple operation machine tools



April 1, 1969 K. M. LEWRY 3,435,498

MULTIPLE OPERATION MACHINE TOOLS Filed Nov. 18, 1966 Sheet of 6 46 muw w ,5,

April 1969 K. M. LEWRY 3,435,498

MULTIPLE OPERATION MACHINE TOOLS Filed Nov. 18, 1966 Sheet 2 of 6 na P I ai w April 1, 1969 K. M. LEWRY MULTIPLE OPERATION MACHINE TOOLS Filed Nov. 18, 1966 Sheet April 1, 1969 K. M. LEWRY 3,435,498

MULTIPLE OPERATION MACHINE TOOLS Filed Nov. 18, 1966 Sheet 4 of e April 1, 1969 Filed Nov. 18, 1966 K. M. LEWRY MULTIPLE OPERATION MACHINE TOOLS Sheet April 1, 1969 K. M. LEWRY MULTIPLE OPERATION MACHINE TOOLS Sheet Filed Nov. 18, 1966 qua twat? United States Patent 3,435,498 MULTIPLE OPERATION MACHINE TOOLS Kenneth Martin Lewry, Hove, Sussex, England, assignor to Kearney & Trecker-CNA. Limited, Hove, Sussex, England, a British company Filed Nov. 18, 1966, Ser. No. 595,419 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Nov. 19, 1965, 49,329/65; Dec. 7, 1965, 51,880/65 Int. Cl. B23p 23/04 US. Cl. 2933 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A multiple operation machine tool comprises means for carrying out operations on work whilst it is in a first work holder, and means for transferring the work from the first work holder to a second work holder which is then moved, with the work, to another location. A turret for a number of tools is provided at the other location, and an indexing mechanism is provided for imparting selective rotation to the turret so that the tools may selectively operate on the work whilst it is in the second work holder at said other location.

The invention relates to multiple operation machine tools, for example automatic lathes.

According to the invention there is provided a multiple operation machine tool of the kind comprising a first work holder, means for carrying out a number of operations upon the work whilst in that holder, a second Work holder, means for transferring the work from the first work holder to the second work holder, means for moving the second work holder, with the work, to another location, and additional means for operating upon the work at that location, characterised in that the additional means for operating upon the work at said other location comprises a holder for a number of tools, which tool holder is so movably mounted on a fixed part of the machine tool that any one of the tools may be selectively presented to the work, means for imparting selective movement to the tool holder, and a power transmission for rotating the tools in the tool holder, and in that said second work holder is arranged to hold the work against rotation during operation thereon by any of said tools.

The aforesaid tool holder may comprise a rotatable turret with which is associated known indexing mechanism whereby a required tool may be presented to the work.

In the case where the machine tool has a conventional back shaft, the indexing mechanism for the rotatable turret may be driven, through a transmission, from said back shaft.

The axes of rotation of at least certain of the tools in said turret may be arranged transversely to the axis of indexing rotation of the turret.

Preferably the axes of rotation of said tools in the turret lie in a plane transverse to the axis of rotation of the turret so that in the various indexed positions of the turret at least certain of the tools are similarly disposed in relation to the work.

The turret may be so carried on a fixed part of the machine that in addition to its rotational indexing movement there may be imparted to it a movement in the direction of the axis of that indexing movement whereby an appropriate operation upon the work may be carried out. In the case where the machine tool has a conventional front cam shaft, there may be driven from the cam shaft a transmission for imparting to the turret said movement in the direction of the axis of the indexing movement.

The rotatable tool holders in the turret may receive their drive from a single drive shaft co-axial with the axis of rotation of the turret and through transmissions having different gear ratios according to the nature of the tools employed in the rotatable tool holder.

A change speed mechanism may also be provided between said drive shaft and a driving motor.

The following is a description of the invention as applied to an automatic lathe reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation of the headstock end of the lathe showing the parts making up the invention but omitting the mechanism for transferring the partly finished work to the position in which it is operated upon by the tools in the additional turret;

FIGURE 2 is a view looking from the left of FIGURE FIGURE 3 is a view looking from the right of FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a diagrammatic layout of the various parts of the apparatus;

FIGURE 5 is a diagrammatic layout of the gearing for driving the various tool holders in the turret;

FIGURE 6 is a more detailed view of a part of FIG- URE 5 for driving the various tool holders in the turret;

FIGURE 7 is a view looking in the same direction as in FIGURE 3 and showing the mechanism for transferring the partly finished work to the position in which it is operated upon by the tools in the additional turret; and

FIGURE 8 is a plan view of the mechanism shown in FIGURE 7.

Referring to FIGURES 1 to 3 there is secured, to one side of the main head stock 10 of the automatic lathe, a bracket 11 to which is fixed a slideway 12 extending parallel and slightly above the axis of rotation 13 of the main mandrel of the head stock. Co-operating with the slideway 12 is a slide 14 to which is attached a bearing 15 for the spindle of a turret 16. The turret is formed with a number of bearing sockets 17 in which holders for tools (not shown) are rotable. The axes of rotation of the various tools extend radially outwards from the axis of rotation of the turret spindle. Indexing mechanism indicated generally at 18 (FIGURE 2) is arranged to index the turret through a transmission comprising a shaft 19 (FIGURE 1) to which is fixed a pinion 20 engageable .with a long pinion 21 on a shaft (not shown) and which drives the spindle through suitable gearing. The indexing mechanism 18 is driven by a shaft 22 on which is fixed a sprocket 23. The sprocket is encircled -by a chain 24 which passes around guide sprockets 25 and 26 and finally around a sprocket 27 on the conventional back shaft 28 of the machine tool. The slide 14 has attached to it a rack (not shown) which is engageable by a toothed quadrant 29 (FIGURE 1) on one arm 20 of a 'bell crank lever, the other arm 31 of which is provided with a roller 32 engageable with a cam 33 fixed to a shaft 34. The shaft 34 is driven through bevel gearing (not shown) from a shaft 35 to which is fixed a sprocket wheel 36 encircled by a chain 37 which also encircles a sprocket wheel 38a driven by the front shaft 38 the speed of which is selected in accordance with the work being carried out. The aforesaid sprocket wheel 25 is rotatable on the shaft 38. The chain 37 also encircles an idle sprocket wheel 38!; on the same shaft as the sprocket wheel 26.

The tool holders are rotated in the turret by a motor 5 which is separate from the motor employed for driving the main machine tool. The motor 5 is mounted on a bracket 39 on the opposite side of the head stock 10 to the bracket 11. A spindle 40 driven by the motor 5 drives 3 the input shaft of a gear box 41 the output shaft 42 of which has fixed to it a pulley 43. The pulley is encircled by a driving band 44 which also encircles a pulley 45 on a shaft 46 of a change speed gear within a gear box 47. The band 44 is engaged by a jockey pulley 9 mounted on a spindle 8 which may be clamped in an appropriate position in a slot 7 on a bracket 6 fixed to the head stock.

The output shaft 48 of the gear box drives the gearing for the various tool holders as will be described below with reference to FIGURES 4, and 6.

A second output shaft 93 from the gear box 41 (see FIGURES 1, 3 and 4) is arranged to drive a vertical shaft 94 through a gear transmission shown diagrammatically at 95 for a drill 97 in a drill holder 96. The shaft 94 is mounted on a slide 98 which is vertically adjustable in a slideway 99 carried by a bracket fixed to the head stock in such a position that the drill may be arranged to operate on the work in the collet in a vertical direction at right angles to the axis of the collet. The driving connection between the gearing 95 and the shaft 94 is of such a character as to permit the up and down movement of the shaft 94.

Referring now to FIGURES 7 and 8: the mechanism for transferring the partly finished work to the position in which it is operated upon by the tools in the additional turret comprises a swinging transfer arm 100 which is keyed to a shaft 101 which is rotatable and axially movable, under the control of the conventional front cam shaft (not shown) of the automatic lathe.

The transfer arm 100 is formed in three parts: a first part 102 which is keyed to the shaft 101; a second part 103 which extends away from the part 102 in a direction parallel to the axis of the shaft 101; and a third part 104 extending transversely to the axis of the shaft 101.

At the end of the part 104 of the transfer arm there is mounted a collet, indicated generally at 105, for receiving and holding the work.

The collet 105 comprises an outer fixed cylindrical sleeve 106 having a bore in which is disposed an inner work-gripping sleeve 107 the walls of which are axially slotted at one end of the sleeve. The extremity of the slotted end of the sleeve 107 is tapered outwardly as is the corresponding bore in the fixed sleeve 106. Secured to the opposite end of the work-gripping sleeve 107 is a member 108. A lever arm 109 is pivoted to the part 104 at 110, so that anti-clockwise swinging movement of the lever arm 109 (as seen in FIGURE 8) draws the slotted sleeve 107 into the fixed sleeve 106 and, due to the engaging tapering parts of those sleeves, the slotted end of the sleeve 107 closes so as to grip work disposed within the sleeve. A spindle 111 is provided within the workgripping sleeve 107 for the purposes of ejecting the work in a manner to be described later.

There is provided on the part 104 of the transfer arm a mechanism for swinging the lever arm 109 to close the collet. This mechanism comprises a plunger 112 reciprocable within the part 104 and engageable by a cam 113 secured to a shaft 114.

The shaft 114 is rotatable within a bearing 115 in the part 104 and has secured thereto a pinion 116 which is engaged by a toothed rack (not shown) on a plunger 117 which is also reciprocable within the part 104. A lever 118 is keyed to the end of the shaft 114 projecting from the part 104. When the plunger 117 is pressed the tooth rack thereon rotates the pinion 116 rotating the cam 113 so as to urge the plunger 112 into engagement with the lever 109. This swings the lever anti-clockwise (as seen in FIGURE 8) and closes the collet.

There is provided on the part 102 of the transfer arm 100 an adjustable screw 119 which is engageable with a fixed abutment 120. When the screw 119 engages the abutment 120 (as seen in FIGURE 7) the transfer arm 100 is at the clockwise limit of its movement and the axis of the collet 105 is in register with the axis 13 of the main mandrel of the machine tool, which mandrel carries another chuck or collet holding the work. After a sequence of operations has been carried out on the work whilst held in this other chuck or collet the work is pushed into the collet 105 where it is loosely retained.

The shaft 101 then rotates anti-clockwise, as seen in FIGURE 7, to a position where the plunger 117 comes opposite a stop 121 on the machine tool, and the work in the collet 105 comes opposite an arcuate plate 122 secured on the machine tool. When the transfer arm reaches this position the shaft 101 moves axially towards the lathe so that the work disposed in the collet engages the arcuate plate 122 which aligns the work and pushes it fully home in the collet. At the same time the plunger 117 engages the stop 121 and depression of the plunger 117 closes the collet 105, in the manner referred to above, so as firmly to grip the work in the collet 105.

The transfer arm 100 then continues to swing anticlockwise until an abutment 123 on the part 103 of the arm engages a spring loaded stop 124. In this position a socket 125 disposed at the junction between the parts 102 and 103 of the transfer arm is disposed opposite a tapered boss 126 formed on a circular plate 127 mounted on the front of the machine tool. At this point the shaft 101 again moves axially towards the machine tool so that the socket 125 engages the tapered boss 126 to locate the transfer arm in a position where the work in the collet 105 may be operated upon by the tools in the turret.

The plate 127 carrying the boss 126 is pivotally mounted at 128 on the machine tool and is provided with an arm 129 which is engaged by a screw 130 in such a manner that adjustment of the screw 130 pivots the plate 127 about the point 123. By this means the position of the boss 126 may be adjusted if necessary.

When the work is in this position it may be operated on by the tools in the turret 16 and/ or by the vertical drill 97 referred to earlier. When these additional operations on the work have been finished the shaft 101 is withdrawn away from the machine tool, withdrawing the socket 125 from the boss 126. As the arm 100 moves away from the machine the aforementioned lever arm 118 engages a fixed abutment plate 133 on the machine, thereby rotating the shaft 114 so as to release the lever arm 109 rendering the collet 105 free to open. Further withdrawal of the arm 100 causes the spindle 11 within the collet 105 to engage a fixed screw 131 mounted on an arm 132, so that the rearward movement of the collet causes the spindle 111 to eject the work from the collet, the sleeve 107 having been permitted to release its grip on the work. The work then falls into a receptacle beneath the collet 105. The transfer arm then swings clockwise to the position shown in FIG- URE 7 ready to receive the next piece of work which has in the meantime been operated upon whilst held in in a collet on the main mandrel of the machine tool.

FIGURES 4 and 5 show the general layout of a driving transmission for a number of tool holders in the turret. The spindle 48 drives a spindle 51 at right angles thereto, in the turret head, through bevel gearing 52, and the shaft 51 also has fixed to it another toothed bevel wheel 53 which engages bevel pinions 54, 55, 56, 57 and 58, as seen in FIGURE 5. The bevel pinions 55, 58 are arranged to transmit a drive to a holder for the screw threading tool in either direction of rotation in the following manner.

The pinions 55, 58 are disposed on opposite sides of the diameter of the bevel wheel 53 and thus are rotated in opposite directions. The two bevel pinions 55, 58 are provided respectively with hollow shafts 69 and 7 0 which are rotatable on a shaft 59. The shaft 59 is also rotatable and axially movable.

As best seen in FIGURE 6 the shaft 59 at one end is formed with the tool holder 61 and also with one part 73 of a first dog clutch. The other end of the shaft 59 has keyed to it at 74 one part 75 of a second dog clutch. The hollow shaft '70 has keyed to it at 77 a spur wheel 78 which engages one part 79 of a compound gear wheel rotatable in a fixed casing 80 and the other part 81 of the compound gear wheel engages a spur wheel '82 which is rotatable on the shaft 70 and is provided with the other part 83 of the first mentioned dog clutch. Thus when the shaft 59 is at the left hand limit of its movement the first dog clutch is engaged and the pinion 58 transmits a drive to the tool holder 61 through the aforesaid gear wheels 78, 81, 82.

The bevel pinion 55 which is rotating in the opposite direction to the bevel pinion 58 has formed integrally with it the hollow shaft 69 and keyed to this hollow shaft is a spur wheel 84 which engages one part 85 of a compound gear wheel mounted to rotate in a fixed casing 86, the other part 87 of which compound gear wheel engages a pinion 88 which is rotatable on the hollow shaft 69 and is formed with the other part 89 of the second mentioned dog clutch. Thus when the shaft 59 is moved to the right disengaging the clutch 73, 83, the second clutch 75, 89 is engaged and thus a drive is transmitted from the pinion 55 to the tool holder 61 via the gear wheels 84, 85, 87 and 88.

A helical compression spring 90 encircles an extension of the shaft 59 and is disposed between the part 75 of the second clutch and an abutment 91 on said extension A spring 92 holds clutch 73, 83 in the driving position for threading, and when the turret is caused to move away from the work, at the completion of the threading the tool is retained in the work, thus holding shaft 59 in the forward position, and when the turret head is withdrawn the clutch 73 is released and clutch 75, 89 engages, giving a reverse drive for removing the tool from the work. Should an excessive movement be given when the turret moves backwards to reverse the drive, spring 90 will collapse, so that the threading tool will not be pulled away from the work.

The pinion 54 drives a shaft 62 which is connected directly to a tool holder, whereas the pinions 56 and 57 drive shafts 63 and 64 which are connected through gearing 60 and 65 to tool holders 67 and 66 respectively.

I claim:

1. A multiple operation machine tool comprising:

(a) a first work holder;

(b) means for operating upon the work whilst in said first holder;

(c) a second work holder;

(d) means for moving said second work holder to a location juxtaposed to said first work holder for directly receiving the work from the first work holder;

(e) means for moving the second work holder, with the work, to another location;

(f) a holder for a number of tools;

(g) means for rotatably mounting the tool holder on a fixed part of the machine tool so that any one of the tools may be selectively presented to the work whilst in the second work holder at said other location;

(h) means for imparting selective movement to said tool holder;

(i) a power transmision for rotating the tools in the tool holder;

(j) means for moving the tool holder towards and away from the work when in said other location so that the tools operate on the work;

(k) said second work holder being capable of holding the work against rotation at said other location during said additional operations; and

(1) said first holder operation means being disposed to operate simultaneously with the tools in the tool holder.

2. A multiple operation machine tool according to claim 1 wherein the aforesaid tool holder comprises a rotatable turret and indexing mechanism coupled thereto so that a required tool can be presented to the work.

3. A multiple operation machine tool according to claim 2 wherein a back shaft as provided, and the indexing mechanism for the rotatable turret is driven through a transmission from said back shaft.

4. A multiple operation machine tool according to claim 2 wherein tools are mounted in said turret, and the axes of rotation of at least certain of the tools in said turret are arranged transversely to the axis of indexing rotation of the turret.

5. A multiple operation machine tool according to claim 4 wherein said axes of rotation lie in a common plane transverse to the axis of rotation of the turret so that in the several indexed positions of the turret said certain tools are similarly disposed in relation to the work.

6. A multiple operation machine tool according to claim 1 wherein a front cam shaft is provided and transmision means are coupled to said cam shaft and to said tool holder for moving said holder toward and away from the work.

7. A multiple operation machine tool according to claim 2 wherein the rotatable tool holders in the turret receive their drive from a single drive shaft co-axial with the axis of rotation of the turret and through transmissions having different gear ratios according to the nature of the tools employed in the rotatable tool holder.

8. A multiple operation machine tool according to claim 7 wherein a change speed mechanism is coupled to said drive shaft and a driving motor therefor.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS 576,370 5/1958 Italy RICHARD H. EANES, JR., Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 29-564 

